Jesus Anointed at Bethany

(A)And while he was at (B)Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,[a] as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii[b] and (C)given to the poor.” And they (D)scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For (E)you always have the poor with you, and whenever (F)you want, you can do good for them. But (G)you will not always have me. (H)She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand (I)for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever (J)the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told (K)in memory of her.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Mark 14:3 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
  2. Mark 14:5 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer

While he was in Bethany,(A) reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.(B)

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you,[b] and you can help them any time you want.(C) But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.(D) Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world,(E) what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Mark 14:5 Greek than three hundred denarii
  2. Mark 14:7 See Deut. 15:11.